Princess Jupiter and the Oak King
by ShadoeFox
Summary: Another of my Fairy Tales, this one focused on the Senshi of Jupiter. It's not the first, and it won't be the last.


Disclaimer: I don't own...well...much of anything honestly.

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Princess Jupiter, and the Oak King.

A Fairy Tale of the Silver Millennium. 

Everyone now knows that the Senshi's of Jupiter have long had a talent with plants and growing things. This wasn't always true, however. The relation started long ago...

It had been a lonely trip for the Princess and young Senshi of Jupiter when she finally came to earth for the first time. Even through her tired eyes, though, she marveled at the green forests of Earth.

All the worlds have places and features of great beauty. The Library of Mercury, the Dunes of Mars, and her own home on Titan which gave her a wonderful view of the Great Storms of Jupiter. Still, nothing she had seen compared to the wonder she felt when she first stepped onto the soil of our original Mother Earth. In truth, I feel few not born there wouldn't be. 

She asked the next morning if the King of Earth could arrange for a trip deep into the woods. With a chuckle he agreed, and promised her that his men would take her to the loveliest places the next day, and so they did.

It was glorious! The colors, the loam scented air, and all the animals! She couldn't see enough! She was so enthralled that she waved off the guard's warnings when a thunderstorm began to cast a gray pall over them.

"I am the Senshi of Thunder." She assured. "What do I have to fear from a little rain?" She was filled with arrogance as she led her horse even deeper into the woods. She didn't realize her mistake until lightning crashed over her head, and the horse she was on bolted. While Jupiter didn't fear the lightning, the horse certainly seemed to hate thunder!

It seemed like the horse ran forever through the rapidly dimming light. Finally her grip, tired from the animals bucking, the princess was thrown from her saddle and into a painful pile. She passed out, certain her leg was broken.

The next morning she awoke, lying on a soft bed of moss with a cast of what looked like bark around her injured leg. She even had a blanket of sorts, weaved from the flexible limbs of a willow tree. 

"Hello?" She called out, looking around her. She knew someone must have helped her, but she could not find them. At least not until the mighty oak under which she laid moved!

"Eat these berries." A deep voice, like a drum, said to her as a limb came close with berries filling several cupped leaves. "But be sure too burry the seeds." 

The princess, afraid, lurched away. "Who are you? What are you?"

"I am the oldest oak tree in these woods. I am the King of the Plants which thrive here." The tree seemed to chuckle. "I am also the one who covered yo0u and fixed your leg."

The princess was shocked, but was well schooled in etiquette. "Thank you."  
The grand old Oak grumbled again, then seemed to turn its attention from her to a sickly looking tree with a great crack in its trunk. She watched as the limbs of the oak moved leaves around the sick tree's roots like a gardener with mulch and as thin branches cleaned dirt and toadstools from the crack.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Helping a sick friend." He replied.

"May I help?" She found a wind tossed branch and used it as a crutch. "I can walk, a bit."

"I have many sick friends." He warned. 

"It's the least I can do. You helped me."

"Then you may help."

So she helped the Oak King, who calmly explained how to help each of the plants in his forest. She learned many things in that one magical day, but she soon grew tired and returned to her moss bed for the night.

The next morning human voices awoke her. A search party led by the King soon found her. "Are you well princess?" He asked.

"Yes, thanks to my friend." She gestured up at the tree, but he did not move. She tried to urge him to speak, and explained the day before to an unbelieving group. The king finally silenced her.

"What we think is unimportant. For now we must get you to the palace and the healers. Your dream... Well, even in dreams there is truth."

He set her on his own horse, and led his men away. Only Jupiter, when she looked back, saw the oak tree wave.

AN: This is another of my Silver Millennium fairy tales. They don't come out often, but I've put a few out. Feel free to look them up on my nick.

Oh, and for the moral of the story, it's already there. To quote the king ""even in dreams, there is truth."

Or, as the song says, "Life is but a dream" so awake or asleep, it all means something.


End file.
